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The Games We Play

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Tess

Since the first night my masked stranger appeared, I wanted more. I craved his touch, his taste. Then he showed me the darkest parts of myself and how exhilarating it is to take a life. I want him to teach me everything he knows about hunting. But even more, I want him. I just never expected what I’d find under the mask. Even worse, I’m in love with him.



X

She’s just a job. A means to get revenge for what happened. I’ll break her. Ruin her. Leave her in pieces and by the time I’m done, I’ll hand her over to the man responsible and he’ll know I was the one who did it. I just have to remind myself who all this is for and don’t let her get in the way of my goal.

361 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 26, 2024

49 people are currently reading
368 people want to read

About the author

Lacie Chanel

3 books9 followers

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5 stars
47 (39%)
4 stars
48 (40%)
3 stars
20 (16%)
2 stars
2 (1%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
Profile Image for Leslie E..
44 reviews16 followers
October 26, 2024
Easy 4.5 stars! This was a sit and finish in one read! I loved the banter, plot, dark elements, suspense, revenge, and romance. What else could you ask for?
Profile Image for tahneekaa.
5 reviews
October 26, 2024
I read this book as an arc book and I absolutely fell in love with it from the beginning! The book gets going pretty fast from the

Masked stalker
Age gap
Hitman
Serial killer
Revenge
Please make sure you check trigger warnings before you read!

His fixation
Her damnation
Tess has no one but her best friend and her dog that is until X comes into her life...will he be her damnation? Tes is kinda lost in the beginning and doesn't care about her life anymore but she becomes a strong MFC that X can not let go of even though she is just suppose to be a job for him.
X has wanted revenge and to him she was just suppose to be a job and way to get revenge but what happens when she becomes his fixation no matter how many times he tries to tell him self other wise.

This book will keep you guys who X could be a keep you on your toes through put the whole thing. Let's just say that the haunted nights scene is one of my favorites!!!
Profile Image for Savanna Ann.
4 reviews2 followers
October 6, 2024
I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review. And I can honestly say..... WOW!!!
I can't even remember the last time that l read a full book In one full day.I loved that this book didn't end on a cliffhanger. I loved how Tess realized who she was truly meant to be. However, I did guess who the masked man was very early in the book.
overall, this was an amazing book that I will be sure to pick up again, but PLEASE CHECK YOUR TRIGGER WARNINGS as this book does Contain a semi-detailed rape scene, mentions of Suicide and attempted suicide, murder, age gap, drug and alcohol abuse and sexual molestation. 4/5 stars for me means that I loved the book I am just very Picky giving out my 5's.
Profile Image for Wayward Skyril.
244 reviews78 followers
October 24, 2024
*3.5*

Okay, this book grew on me a LOT, and I ended up really enjoying the heck out of it. That being said, the beginning felt lost and EXTREMELY farfetched until around the 30% mark where it finally seemed to figure out what it wanted to be and not only start making sense, but also revving the plot, building the characters, and (if only it had gotten another sweep of edits to clean up the occasional awkward line/verbage) becoming almost the serial killers dark romance of my dreams.

The story dives in with the superficial plot of stalker and prey immediately, while slowly developing the exciting background plot. While I found the introductory sequences and chunk of story a little ridiculous and the FMC unlikeable for a while, the book still kept me reading. It immediately pushed action, didn't leave much room for boredom, kept scenes focused, and, while I was having a hard time embracing characters at first, I was willing to be swept along for the ride.

Once it figured out what it wanted to be, it started getting fun, spicy, and really exciting. There was one reveal I guessed early, but there were several more thrilling twists I didn't see coming, and I was so excited to find a book that was both full of what it promises - very dark and very spicy - as well as a rich, dangerous, intriguing plot.

Overall, this story was delivered with fast-moving writing that was easy to absorb. As I mentioned briefly already, there was some awkward phrasing from time to time, however, as well as fewer contractions than would have been natural, making some of the wording a little bit of a mouthful. Another round of editing probably could have cleaned these up. That being said, I was generally able to ignore the awkward parts thanks to the spice, danger, and excitement.

Most of all, I loved the plot AND the dynamic characters. Their metamorphoses were satisfying as they became not only who they were meant to be, but exactly perfect matches for each other while the magnetism between them was deliciously dark and succulent.
This book takes the words "dark romance" and doesn't hold back, which is exactly what I love to see in this genre. I WANT the dark and gritty and weird and will-burn-the-world-down-for-each-other connection. That's exactly what I'm looking for when I pick up a book like this, and that's exactly what The Games We Play delivers.

It's kind of hard for me to put all of my thoughts about this book into one coherent review. Let's just say: this book made me feel things, some bad, but most good. I'm so happy I had the opportunity to ARC read this, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye on the author from now on. She knows how to write the dark romance I crave! Would recommend, though please check content warnings before entering, as there's a lot in here, including on-page rape, not between the MCs.
Profile Image for Kira.
92 reviews1 follower
December 6, 2024
This is what I mean when I say I want dark romance. The utter need for eachother and genuinely destroying anyone that touches her. I did have my suspicions early on of who he was and there's a few things that were a little confusing but most of it was wrapped up nicely in the end. Theres alot of strong emotions in this book and definitely remind yourself of the TW before you read as some things get a little dark and hazy, I think they were good for eachother in the ways they helped eachother. Tess brought X out of that dark place he was raised to stay in and X helped Tess be herself again after everything she went through; although he could have done better after what happens to her after they met. We got alot of danger and spice and I would have liked to see some moment of caring rather than them just being exciting; they do eventually talk but I would have liked to have seen more of a relationship, just because it's dark and he's a masked stalker doesn't mean there can't be moments of gentleness. This book did take a turn I wasn't expecting with the violent connection they form and the things they do in the town, and I think it made it more interesting and intense than just their obsession. The steamy scenes in this did not disappoint and there were lots of them, the details and the closeness were done well. I think we've all thought of a masked man being obsessed with us. I think there was alot of high stakes and danger and it worked together nicely and I liked the ending and how everything played out.
Profile Image for Naj_ana_reads.
378 reviews18 followers
October 12, 2024
✨ The Games We Play by Lacie Chanel ✨

If you love
💫 Stalker
💫 Hitm@n
💫 "She's just a job"
💫 Degr@datïøn

When I tell you I was very close to making this one my first DNF but you want to know why I didn't? Cause I couldn't live without knowing who "X" was!

I think part of the reason why I was not getting into the story was because I was listening to an audiobook that also had the stalker trope in between my reads and I was subconsciously comparing the two. But once I caught myself I decided to hold off on listening to the audiobook till I was done with this read.

The beginning did seemed a little fast for me when it came to Tess and X. I felt like they went from zero to 💯 but the pace did slowed down after and I liked that.

The plot was fun to read as well. I liked how Tess's character went from being pushed around to taking control and making people pay for their wrong doings.

Side note: this is probably my 4th book were some characters that I really liked were 💀ed. That part SUCKED. A$$! I can see why the author went that route but it still suck none the less lol.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Stand Alone or Series: Standalone
TWs: Yes! Please check those.

💋naj_ana_reads💋
Mood Reader
TikTok l Instagram l Goodreads l Amazon l Audible Reviews
6 reviews
October 23, 2024
I had the honor of reading this book in exchange for an honest review; and that is exactly how I would describe it: an honor!

From the very beginning, I was sucked into the story line. There are key elements all throughout the book to hint at who “X” is and when you find out….WOW! It was so fun to brainstorm who I thought it was until the end. There were plot twists galore and I loved every minute of it.

I do recommend looking at the trigger warnings because this book is not for the faint of heart. But it was definitely worth the 5 star rating for multiple reasons: the plot twists, the 10/10 spice level, the story line, the style of writing, the amazing ending, and the characters.

If you are someone who loves spicy romance, smut, age-gap romance, blurred lines, and dark romance, this book is for you! I am very pleased it is not a series because it was a masterpiece as a stand-alone. I cannot wait until her next book! Way to go, Lacy!
Profile Image for Angela.
27 reviews
January 3, 2025
I don't know if I could have picked a better book to kick 2025 off with. I haven't been this sucked into a story for a while. I couldn't put it down, it was like a compulsion to keep going and find out what happened next. Check your triggers for before reading this one, it has some pretty graphic scenes that may not sit well with everyone.

The way the information was spoon fed to the reader kept me so engaged. It was like I was learning information at the same time as the characters were uncovering secrets of this particular world. And the plot twists?? Absolutely unreal.

Tess was such a complicated character who only became more and more unhinged the longer the story went on. X was just as complex. His inner turmoil about dragging Tess into his world gave his character so much more depth.

I seriously can't recommend this book enough. I'm so glad I chose it for the letter "G" of the A to Z reading challenge I'm doing this year!!
Profile Image for Christina.
140 reviews4 followers
October 30, 2024
*Received as an ARC in exchange for an Honest Review*

Masked men and Stalker Romance seem to be my weakness!!
Tess and X... a totally unhinged, but oh so fucking sexy duo.

The beginning of the book felt a tad bit underdeveloped and rushed but stick with it. It's done for a reason and comes together. It goes from "Hey, I'm living my life" to "OH FUCK, there is a muscled up, masked Daddy breaking into my house and I'm ok with it" in a couple heartbeats, but it comes together.

I guessed X pretty early on, but it still didn't hinder the character development, the banter, the spice, or the storyline for me one bit, cause let me tell you... I ate this up!

Keep your trigger warnings in mind for this one.
On page Rape/SA
Mention of Suicide/Attempted Suicide
Drug/Alcohol Abuse
Murder/Hitman

Tropes...
Masked Man
Age Gap
Stalker
Serial Killer/Hitman
Degradation/Beg For It
Profile Image for balayageandbooks.
583 reviews17 followers
October 11, 2024
I could not put this book down… I devoured it. Masked man…check. OTT obsessed stalker…check. FMC that is a total baddie..check. Unhinged Man that has meant his equally unhinged match…CHECK. This book was everything I was hoping for and so much more!
Lacie has this incredible talent of creating these worlds that will just absolutely suck you in. This book is a delicious buffet of tropes… and I’m totally here for it!
These characters will have you in a chokehold and the story will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time.
This book takes you on one heck of a wild ride…I was biting my nails one minute and then fanning myself the next!
There’s just as much suspense as there is spice… think Mr. & Mrs. Smith but with a Joker and Harlequin twist.
Yes y’all it’s that dang good!
Profile Image for Cal D.
955 reviews3 followers
October 20, 2024
This book is NOT for the faint of heart, but WOW did it pull me in! It’s DARK with SA and m*rd3r and masked men and an auction with unwilling women. Check those TWs!

THOUGHTS 💭
🖤 I love a good masked st@lk3r MMC. He’s sworn to never love anyone/never have anyone to be a “weakness” in his line of work.
🖤 Our FMC’s crazy matches the MMC’s crazy and together… it’s perfection.
🖤 This was a mix of thriller, horror, and erotic romance.
🖤 There is S P I C E and much of it is really messed up… but in a hot way? 🥵
🖤 The mystery of “who is X” follows the reader through most of the book… And then there’s a twist.
🖤 The juxtaposition of everyone else’s “normal” and Tess’ “normal” (i.e. VERY not normal) was fun to read.

Thanks so much to Lacie Chanel for the ARC of this book!
Profile Image for Rabecca Rodgers.
122 reviews
November 7, 2025
OKAY! I liked the story and the against all odds love story... BUT OH MY GOD .. The grammatical errors and such are beyond annoying. Sentences that make no sense at all... causing me to pause and try to make sense of them. It interrupts the reading flow. Example: (page 212) " Inhaling deeply, he claps his hands together and leans forward to brace his knees on his elbows". HOW is that even possible?
(page 231) " Only controlled by money and the to do what they do best". WHAT????
Then at the top of page 201 they say he pulls on gray sweatpants, but at the bottom of the page it says he's still naked. Come on pay attention to what you are writing. This is just a few, the book is full of them. It's too bad because it takes away from an otherwise good story. (in my opinion).
Profile Image for Booked After Hours.
19 reviews4 followers
October 9, 2024
This masked stalker romance will keep edging you onto the next page. I literally devoured this book. When starting this book I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to give a five star after reading Lights Out. While there is no romcom banter the author put her twisted spin on Mr. & Mrs. Smith's assassin romance. This was beautifully written and kept me pent up with energy trying to win the final game and unveil all the dirty truths, and there was a lot to unload! This book had a little bit of everything romance, heartbreak, self-discovery, alpha male and female power couple. X & P will be an adventure I will definitely depart on again. I will be adding this to my collection of shelf trophies!
Profile Image for Rachelle Butler.
49 reviews3 followers
October 27, 2024
This book is definitely not for the weak. I went in expecting it to go one way but was met with something a bit different. 🫣

This book was a chaotic start for me. I feel like a lot of things were all over the place in a bit unbelievable in the first part of the book. But it does start to pick up and get more to the plot. The FMC was a bit unhinged and that made for a great pair for the Unhinged MMC.

I did kind of guess who X was early on. But the plot twists at the end really made up for that.

Overall it was a quick dark, gory, twisted, spicy read.

Please check the triggers, because there are a lot in this book.
Profile Image for Haley.
316 reviews5 followers
November 19, 2024
If I could round my rating up I think it would be more of a 3.5, instead of 3, but I also don’t think it’s a 4, so 3.5 it is! This felt very much like Haunting Adeline to me. It started out with a masked stalker, that turned into a whole different story about 40% into the story, if that change didn’t occur my rating would have been way lower. This does have a lot of spice & smut, so if that’s not your thing, this is definitely not the smutty dark romance for you. However, if you like the masked man, the stalker, hitman type dark romances then this is the story for you!

I’m not a huge smut dark romance fan, I do enjoy dark romances, I just prefer them with more story than smut/spice.
Profile Image for Lynn.
114 reviews6 followers
November 24, 2024
This book was so steamy I definitely recommend
Once I started I couldnt put it down I even made a tiktok video on it, But be aware of all the Triggers
This book has all of the hot triggers. JUST THE DEDICATION is hot🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥...For those of us who love the men with all the red flags and the more toxic the relationship the better…fictionally of course.
Triggers.🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶.Murder, Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Bondage, Rape, Knife Play, Blood Play, Serial Killer, Dub-Con, Age Gap, Bully, Attempted Murder, Mentions of Suicide, Suicide Attempt, Animal Cruelty, Degradation, Sexual Molestation, Adult Language and Content
I rate this book⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
735 reviews6 followers
January 28, 2025
Are your ready for it?

Interesting story. 2 serial killer. Well, Hitmen. X is out for revenge.
Tess is drowning. Ryan her best friend ribbons she's also falling apart. When X meets Tess, the game changes.
He unleashes a side of her she needed.
The twists are great. I called X, but there's a twist to all of this. One you won't see coming, but wow.
I enjoyed this book. Hot, spicy, dark. With a big twist.
Profile Image for cloud_9_reads.
176 reviews31 followers
October 8, 2024
If you love quick DARK reads, then this book is for you! This story has a long list of trigger warnings, so be sure to check them out before beginning…but once you do, get ready for a wild ride! Masked men, hot chemistry, steamy spice, fun banter, and a creative plot that keeps you guessing til the end.
Profile Image for Laurin Nicole.
32 reviews
October 23, 2024
Lacie Chanel has done it again!!! Her character building and plot are amazing and you can’t help but to fall in love with Tess and X!


This book just hit all the marks Dark, Stalker, strong FMC, Romance

All I can say is haunted nights 🎭🧡
Profile Image for Leslie Kilpatrick.
17 reviews
October 24, 2024
I LOVED this novel. Spicy scenes with a little gore but not so much that’s absolutely wild. Trigger warnings, so make sure to check prior to reading! And also, a Haunted House scene that will make you shiver. 🤡 Highly recommend!!
63 reviews1 follower
October 25, 2024
Dark and twisty and a book I could not put down until I finished it! I was able to read this book as an ARC reader and I am so happy I got the opportunity, I would have been so sad to miss a book like this!
Profile Image for Rochelle Reads.
6 reviews1 follower
October 29, 2024
Looking for an amazing dark romance, this will have you on the edge of your seat. I was beyond surprised. The spice , the chase and the plot twisted were fantastic. Highly recommend this dark twisted stalker romance!
Profile Image for Tammy Reads Romance.
172 reviews1 follower
November 12, 2024
unexpected

I only occasionally read dark romance - this one captured my attention and kept me trapped. I will NEVER go into a haunted house - not that I would have any way! There were a few twists and turns, and I loved them all!
Profile Image for Michaela.
107 reviews1 follower
October 7, 2024
Well that was an interesting, bloody story. And I loved it so much. The whole thing was spicy, bloody, and fantastic I want more
Profile Image for Joanna C.
482 reviews2 followers
October 26, 2024
Wow! This was an intense read… the FMC is obviously a broken young woman who feels out of place with only her best friend and his dad as her only family. That is until she meets her stalker and the games begins. I don’t think I’ve read a book quite like this. This is a perfect read if you are into masked men and intense vibes. Be sure to check trigger warnings before reading.
Profile Image for Ashley Fisher.
75 reviews1 follower
November 25, 2024
If you're looking for stalker, age gap, action, and plot twists this book is for you! When I tell you I read this book in just a few hours! I couldn't put it down!
Profile Image for Brittany Collins.
56 reviews1 follower
March 1, 2025
Good book, plot was interesting and kept your attention, if your a dark romance/thriller reader this one is a good book to add to your reads!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews

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